Choosing wood for a Maine porch: cedar, pine, or hardwood?
The most common question I get before starting an outdoor piece is simple: what wood should we use? There's no single right answer, but there is a right answer for your porch, your budget, and how much upkeep you want to do.
Cedar
Cedar is the default for good reason. It's naturally rot-resistant, it's light enough that a swing doesn't strain the hardware, and it takes a finish beautifully. It'll silver to a soft gray if you leave it bare, or stay warm and honey-colored if you let me seal it and re-coat every few years.
Best for: porch swings, Adirondack chairs, anything that sits exposed.
Pine
Pine is the value option and I'm not shy about recommending it. Properly sealed and kept under a roof or on a covered deck, a pine picnic table will serve a family for many years at a friendlier price. It does want more attention — a re-coat sooner, and it doesn't love standing water.
Best for: covered porches, budget-conscious builds, commercial picnic tables that get repainted anyway.
Hardwoods
For indoor work — dining tables, benches, bookcases — I move to hardwoods like maple, cherry, oak and ash. They machine cleanly, they take a hand-rubbed finish, and they're what you want under a plaque that's going to outlive all of us.
Best for: dining tables, heirloom pieces, anything indoors that gets daily use.
The ten-year math
People often ask if the nicer wood is worth it. My honest take: if the piece lives outdoors and uncovered, spend the money on cedar. If it lives under cover, save it and put the difference toward a bigger table.
Still deciding? Send me a photo of the space and I'll tell you what I'd build.